The Shih-Tzu, or lion dog as they were affectionately referred to by their first breeders, are the 20th most popular dog in the world, and for good reason. Originally bred for Chinese royalty to be affectionate and beautiful, they weigh up to 16 pounds and live for 10 to 16 years. As these affectionate little doggos were bred specifically for Chinese royalty, the public did not know about them until the 1930s, during which time breed clubs began organizing in the city of Peking, and later spread into England where the breed was refined. Holy Shih!
Shih-tzus have naturally very long hair, which allows for the owner to really customize how their affectionate little pup looks, but in order to keep them looking their best you have to groom them. If you ever notice your bitch is getting smelly or that they look like they are crying, then it’s time for you to gently wipe their face with a wet washcloth. Shih-tzu coats are beautiful, but they require you to brush their hair every three days (be careful of knotted fur), but you should only brush your bitch after getting her hair cut or when she is exceptionally dirty from outside play, as washing more than that will dry out their skin and strip their skin of essential oils needed to maintain a healthy coat
When Chinese royal dogs would die, they would just get a new one, so this breed was never meant to be healthy, just cute and affectionate. As a result of this, Shih-tzu’s are prone to a lot of health problems, the most prevalent of which are retinal dysplasia, malocclusion, and breathing problems. Retinal dysplasia causes the retina tissue to be folded where normally it would be flat, which causes mild to complete blindness, which can not be treated. Malocclusion is a dental disease which causes the teeth of your pup to be pushed together, like a child in need of braces or the stereotypical Brit. This is not a serious problem, and to me makes the dogs even more lovable because of how silly and cute they look while looking up at you. The breathing problems present in this breed, meaning that the owner should be very cautious of overexertion or extremely hot days, as the dog could suffer from heatstroke.
Little fluffy balls of pure and unfiltered love, all that your Shih-tzu wants is to love and to be loved back. A downside to this breed is that they are stubborn, and are very hard to house break them. The name little lion is far from what this dog is, but it is also sort of accurate. While this breed does not look like a fierce protector, they do act like it sometimes. Carrying themselves like a little lion, this breed is both cautious and enthusiastic about meeting others, and make fantastic watch dogs. This breed is not aggressive in nature, so if you see an aggressive Shih-tzu it’s all on the bad owner. These dogs are loving companions for anyone who is willing to take the time to care for them and train them, and they have love equal to that of a golden retriever, just in a smaller and more condensed package.
Frenchies come in a large variety of colors, dark brown/black with hints of lighter colors throughout, a light color (mainly white) with darker color spots, and uniform colors being tan, cream, mixed blue, and chocolate. Maintaining your Frenchie’s coat is a pretty simple task all things considered, make sure they have a healthy diet high in omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, bathe the doggo once a month, and brush their hair once a week. Bathing your doggie more than once a month can strip it of the essential oils which keep their skin healthy and shiny, which could cause issues down the line. By brushing your Frenchie once a week, you are ensuring that their coat is clean and shiny. Brushing more frequently is not necessary because their short hair does not leave much dead hair and does not need to be removed as often as other breeds.
The most common health issue in Frenchies is their respiratory compromise which means that the dogs are prone to heat and exercise intolerance. If your bitch is ever struggling to breath or breathing irregular it is imperative that you try and cool it down immediately, as heat strokes are deadly. Other common issues with Frenchies are skin and ear diseases, as well as problems that arise in the spinal disks in their backs. The skin issues present itself mainly in allergies, which means that owners should take their doggos to the vet to see if they are allergic and should take steps to avoid having that substance around their pets.
Yorkies are by far one of my favorite breeds. Ever since I was a little kid, I wanted one. It wasn’t until last year that I finally added a Yorkie to my little dog pack. There are several members of my family with allergies to dogs and cats, so I usually try to pick a hypoallergenic dog when adding a new member to my family. This cute and non-shedding dog breed originated in England about 100 years ago with the intended plus of catching rats in addition to providing companionship. This miniature breed generally caps out at 7 pounds and lives anywhere from 13-16 years. Before the yorkie breed became official, they were brought into the royal family and would be lap dogs for the queen.
Yorkies are very smart and love to please their owner, so they can easily be trained to complete tricks and tasks. They are very emotional and get upset when they are disciplined for a negative behavior. This breed generally only connects to one person and It’s hard to change that innate nature of the breed. They do well living in an apartment, but need a lot of exercise. They don’t do well being alone and think they are a lot bigger than they are. Yorkies are very stubborn and persistent, trying something over and over until they get what they want. In some cases this translates to fighting to the death, even when it is their own life that gets taken.
Compared to most hypoallergenic breeds, the Yorkie has an easily manageable coat. It grows straight and isn’t excessively thick like the poodle’s hair. The real question is do you want to keep their hair long or short or a hybrid of the two. Most Yorkie owners choose to keep their hair short because it’s the easiest to maintain. A Yorkie with long hair will require periodic brushing to keep their coat from getting tangled. A breed specific haircut is a shaved back and medium length belly and legs. It takes anywhere from 1-2 years to grow out a Yorkie’s hair to floor length. It is recommended to put the hair on the top of their head in a bow if you choose to grow their hair out.
If you notice a lull in energy level, especially at a young age, your puppy could have hypoglycemia, which is more common in small dog breeds. This means that they are suffering from low blood sugar and should be taken to a vet for examination and testing. A quick solution to this is sticking a little honey in their mouth. If you notice your Yorkie limping, they may be suffering from poor hip joints and is called “Legg-Perthes Disease.” it takes a full month for this hip joint issue to fully develop and is best caught early on. Often surgery is the solution to this problem. Yorkies are also prone to having skin allergies and if they demonstrate excessive itching, they may have a dermal allergy to a myriad of things. Naturally this is something non urgent you will want to bring to the attention of your vet so they can help alleviate your dogs discomfort.
Loving, smart, athletic, german shepherds are amazing and versatile dogs. These loving companions live up to 13 years and can weigh up to 90 pounds. Originally bred by a military officer, this German breed has a long history of working alongside military and police enforcers. They are very capable and can be trained to complete a wide variety of tasks from sniffing out drugs to hunting to serving as a therapy dog. It’s no wonder this is one of the most popular dog breeds.
This breed SHEDS A TON!!! Especially when they are getting rid of their winter coat. They lose their winter coat in heaps at a time and is not a good fit for an owner with allergies. They require monthly bathing to keep their coats healthy which may be hard if you take them anywhere near mud or water frequently because they know how to have fun and get down and dirty.
This breed has a high energy level and requires daily walks and strenuous exercise. If this breed’s exercise needs aren’t met, they will act out in the house and chew up furniture or worse. If you or your family enjoys the outdoors and exercise a lot, this loving companion is a great fit for you.
The only real potential drawback from the breed is the shedding, but its nowhere near as problematic as owning a husky. Weekly brushing will keep their coats looking nice and silky. This breed requires a large space to live in and doesn’t do well in an apartment. Retrievers are highly sensitive and don’t do well with being scolded or reprimanded. These loving doggos don’t do well being left alone for long periods of time. 
Yet another reason they make great additions to a family. They love being tasked with an action such as fetch. It’s as if they have an oral fixation as they will keep a ball or stick in their mouth for hours. They tend to be oblivious to overheating, so it’s essential to keep an eye on how much exercise they are getting. As you can see from the picture on the right, this “adogable” breed loves to chase, but doesn’t always bring the item back to the thrower. That is something that needs to be taught.
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